A Second Chance Pays Off: Jaxson Hayes Finds His Fit with a Resurgent Lakers Team

When the Los Angeles Lakers’ season ended in frustration last spring, Jaxson Hayes was one of the players left searching for answers. Benched by the close of the playoff series, the seventh-year center faced an uncertain future, making his decision to re-sign for the 2025–26 campaign a surprising one to many observers.

Three months into the new season, the gamble is paying dividends for both sides. The Lakers have raced out to a 19–8 record, and Hayes has quietly carved out an important role in the rotation, providing energy, athleticism, and reliability whenever his number is called.

He has started games in place of Deandre Ayton when injuries or rest have intervened, while continuing to anchor the second unit with the hustle that has long defined his career.

For Hayes, the opportunity has been about more than minutes. It has been about growth — learning how to slow the game down and expand his impact beyond highlight dunks.

1. Learning to Read the Floor

The most noticeable change in Hayes’ game has come in the “short roll,” a play that demands quick decisions in tight spaces. Following a recent shootaround, Hayes explained how he has tried to become more deliberate after setting screens. Rather than immediately racing toward the rim, he now looks to pause, read the defense, and identify where the advantage lies. That might mean attacking himself, flipping a pass to a shooter, or finding a cutter slipping behind a rotating defender. The difference has been subtle but significant. In previous seasons, Hayes’ instincts leaned heavily toward finishing plays. This year, he has embraced the idea that patience can be just as dangerous as speed. The approach has allowed him to become a connective piece in the offense, someone who keeps possessions alive rather than simply ending them.

2. Building Chemistry with Luka

That evolution has been especially evident alongside Luka Dončić. Hayes has become one of the Lakers’ most reliable lob targets, giving the star guard a vertical threat who forces defenses to collapse. But the partnership extends beyond alley-oops. When defenses take away the rim, Hayes has learned to catch in the pocket, glance at the floor, and deliver the ball to an open teammate before the help fully arrives. He has also developed a soft hook shot to counter defenders who overplay the pass, adding a scoring wrinkle that was largely absent from his repertoire in prior years. The chemistry is not the product of any single play, but of repetition — an understanding of timing and spacing that grows each time the two share the court.

3. Consistency in a Limited Role

Statistically, Hayes’ season has been defined by efficiency rather than volume. Through 24 games, including four starts, he has averaged just over 17 minutes per night while posting 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per contest. Those numbers are buoyed by remarkable shooting: better than 76 percent from the field and a respectable 65 percent at the free-throw line. Even his lone three-point attempt of the year found the bottom of the net. For a player whose minutes fluctuate based on matchups and health elsewhere in the lineup, that steadiness has been invaluable. Hayes has avoided long slumps and has delivered similar effort whether starting or coming off the bench. It is a quiet form of dependability — the kind coaches rely on when rotations are in flux.